Charles p



No. 65,738. Patented D80. l3, I898. I

c. F. BIBLE.

SHOW CASE.

(Application filed Supt. 17, mos.

(No Model.) 4

w/nmsrs ATTORNEYS.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. BIELE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHOW-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,788, dated December13, 1898.

Applioatloil filed $eptemher 17, 1898. Serial No. 691,131. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. BIELE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Show-Oases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in that class of show-casesknown as all-glass show-cases, or show-cases in which the wooden ormetal frame for holding the front, side, and top plates in position isentirely dispensed with and these plates held firmly and reliably inposition by fasteningscrews which are passed through holes drilled intosaid plates; and the invention consists of a show-case comprisingbottom, front, side, and top plates, means for connecting said front,side, and top plates, sliding rear doors, guide-rails for said doors,anchors connecting the top plate with the top guide-rail, andscrew-bolts for attaching said anchors to said top guide-rail, and,further, in certain details of construction and combinations of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical transversesection of my improved show-case. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of aportion of the same on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofthe angular corner-bracket by which connection between the front, side,and top plates is made. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of an intermediateconnecting-bracket for the front and top plates and side and top plates;and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views showing, re spectively, the socket inthe top plate and the anchor for connecting the top plate with the toprail of the rear frame of the showcase.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the bottom of my improvedshow-case, which is preferably made of wood in the usual manner. Theinner and outer front rails a and a and side rails may be made of woodor of wood sheathed with metal and are preferably secured by screws a,which pass through openings a near the lower edges of the front and sideplates. The rear part of the showcase is preferably made of wooden doorsB B, which are provided with mirror-plates cl on their inner sides, saiddoors being guided in suitable top and bottom rails of a rear frame H,which is formed of sheet metal bent in U shape and fitted over the edgesof the top and side plates and bottom of the case. Guiderails for thedoors B B are formed by the raised portions h of the metallic rearframe, said raised portions extending at the sides as well as at the topand bottom of the case, as indicated by the cross-section horizontalview, Fig. 2. The front, sides, and top of the showcase are preferablymade of glass plates of suitable thickness, the top plate E beingpreferably rounded off at its front and side edges, as shown in Fig. 1.

The connection of the upper corners of the front, side, and top plates 0D E is accomplished by angular brackets or corner-pieces F, one of whichis shown in perspective in Fig. 3, and which are composed of threequadrant-shaped plates or wings, two of which, f f, are united with eachother at right angles, while the third, f a horizontal portion, isunited at right angles to the two side plates of the bracket. Each wingof the'corner-bracket F is provided with an interiorly-threaded aperture g, that is engaged by a connecting screw-bolt g, that passesthrough holes drilled in the glass plates near their edges. Thescrew-bolts g are preferably provided with cylindrical heads 9 which fitinto a corresponding countersink or socket in the glass plates, at theouter ends of the bolt-holes in the same, so that when thefastening-bolts g are screwed home into the tapped openings in thecorner-brackets F their heads 9 will be even with'the outer surface ofthe front, side, and top plates of the show-case. To produce the properconnection of the cornerbrackets and fastening-bolts, suitable washersof flexible material may be interposed between the heads of thefastening-screws and the bottom of the sockets provided for thescrew-heads or between the outer surface of the corner-brackets and theinner surface of the glass plates, as may be found most con- Venient. Bythese yielding washers the detaching of the fastening-screws from thecornerpieces is prevented and a tighter connection between the platesobtained. When a case ICO of considerable length is to be made, it isnecessary to connect the front and top plates at points intermediatebetween the end plates. For this purpose plain angular brackets areused, one of which is shown in Fig. 4. This bracket is fastened to thefront and top plates by fastening-screws in the same manner as thecorner-brackets.

For the purpose of producing a reliable connection between the rear edgeof the top plate E and the top rail of the rear frame II it ispreferable to employ an anchor K, which is shown in perspective view inFig. (3. This anchor is formed of a cylindrical head 7.:, that is equalin height with the thickness of the top glass plate E, and of asemicircular shank 7t and a T-shaped head 7.: at the end of said shank,said head being provided with a tapped hole k for a fastening-screw 7c",the conical head of which is seated in an opening in the metallic toprail of the rear frame. The cylindrical portion 7a of the anchor K isfitted into a corresponding hole 6, which is drilled in the top plate E,while the shank is fitted into a semicircular recess 6, that connectsthe cylindrical opening e with the edge of the plate, as shown in Fig.5. \Vhen the anchor is dropped into the openings or sockets in the topplate E and the head 70 placed in position adjacent to the rear edge ofsaid plate, connection with the top rail is made by the screw 7.3, asshown at the upper right-hand side of Fig. 1. A strip of felt or otherflexible filling material is interposed, preferably, between the edge ofthe top plate E and the top rail, so as to actas a cushion for the topplate and prevent breakage as a result of too hard a tightening of theconnection.

The advantages of my improved all-glass show-case are that the parts canbe shipped in detached or knocked-down condition and can be readilyassembled when the show-case is to be put up for use. Owing to thesimple construction of the connecting corner and intermediate bracketsfor the front, side, and top plates,the show-case can be manufactured ata very low price, and by use of elastic washers the strain on the glassplates is reduced, so that the breaking of the plates is prevented andunequal strains avoided.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A show-case, consisting of bottom, front, side andtop plates, means for connecting said front, side and top plates,sliding rear doors, guide-rails for said doors, anchors connecting thetop plate with the top guide-rail, and screw-bolts for attaching saidanchors to said top guide-rail, substantially as set forth.

2. A show-case, consisting of bottom, front, side and top plates, meansfor connecting said front, side and top plates, sliding rear doors,guide-rails for said doors, an anchor connecting the top plate with thetop guide-rail, and means for adjusting said top guide-rail relativelyto said top plate and anchor, substantially as set forth.

3. An anchor for connecting the top plate with the top rail of ashow-case, said anchor consisting of a cylindrical portion, a shank, anda head at the rear end of the shank, said head being provided with atapped hole, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. BIELE.

Vitnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, M. HENRY WURTZEL.

